SIVA
Consider the significance of the Form that Shiva has assumed for human adoration. In his neck, He has the holocaust-producing poison, Halahala, that can destroy all life in a trice. On his head, He has the sacred Ganga River, whose water can cure all ills, here and hereafter. On his forehead, He has the eye of Fire. On His head, He has the cool comforting Moon. On His wrists, ankles, shoulders, and neck, He wears deadly cobras, which live on life-giving breath of air. Siva lives in the burial ground and the burning ghat, the Rudrabhumi as it is called – the Land of Siva or Rudra. The place is no area of dread. It is an auspicious area, for all have to end their lives there, at the close of this life or a few more lives. Siva is teaching you that death cannot be shunned or frightened away. It has to be gladly and bravely met.
Siva, again, is said to go about with a begging bowl. He teaches that renunciation, detachment, indifference to good fortune or bad, these are the paths to him. Siva is known as Mrutyunjaya, He who vanquishes death. And He is also the Kaamaari, the destroyer of Desire. These two names show that he who destroys Desire can conquer Death, for Desire breeds Activity, Activity breeds Consequence, Consequence breeds Bondage, Bondage results in Birth and Birth involves Death.
Easwara is also symbolised in the Linga Form. Linga is derived from the Sanskrit root. Li, means Leeyathe,”merges”; it is the Form in which all forms merge. Siva is the God who blesses beings with the most desirable gift of meaning, in the Universe. That is the end, the death, which one should strive for, the end which Siva can vouchsafe. Realise the God in you first; then, if you involve yourself with the material world, no harm can come to you, for you will recognise the objective world as but the Body of God. If you try to involve yourself with the objective world first, then you can discover God as material only. Again, you can direct your spiritual efforts in either of two ways in endeavouring to reach Him. Follow the commands of God, and He will be pleased to raise you up. Follow the path of inquiry and discover where He resides, and realise Him there. You can follow either means. But reaching Him is the inescapable task of man.
Siva means: Graciousness; Auspiciousness; Mangalam. He is all Graciousness, Ever-Auspicious, Sarvamangalam. That is the reason why the epithet, Sri, which indicates these qualities, is not added to the Name Siva, Sankara, Easwara, etc. It is added to the Names of Avatars for they have taken on perishable bodies for a specific purpose. They have to be distinguished from other humans, by the epithet. Siva is eternally gracious, auspicious, mangala, and so the epithet is superfluous. Siva is adored as the Teacher of Teachers, Dakshinamurti. The Form of Siva is itself a great lesson in Tolerance and Forbearance.
The Halahala poison is hidden by Him in His Throat. The beneficent Moon which all welcome, He has worn on His Head. This is a lesson for man to keep away from others all harmful tendencies and to use for their benefit all useful tendencies that he can command. If one uses his skills for his own advance, and his evil propensities for putting down others, he is only taking the road to ruin.